Collaborators in Care at Community First! Village

At the Topfer Family Health Center, Integral Care and
CommUnityCare Clinic work together to provide behavioral and primary health
care for more than 200 residents of Community First! Village, a permanent
supportive housing community. Check out our blog to learn more about our
collaboration and the future of integrated care at Community First! Village.

As Mobile Loaves & Fishes expanded from delivering food
to individuals experiencing homelessness to creating a permanent supportive
housing community at Community First! Village, the organization was guided by
one foundational principle: housing will never solve homelessness, but
community will. Community First! Village is home to more than 200 individuals
who formerly experienced chronic homelessness. In addition to housing, these
residents have access to gardens, an art studio, an outdoor movie theater, an
onsite medical facility, and various other resources to build their health and
well-being. This innovative residential program is supported by a wide variety
of nonprofits, businesses, volunteers, and community members, all of whom are
helping to build community onsite.

“The organizations providing services here are brought
together by shared love for our neighbors,” said Amber Fogarty, President and
Chief Goodness Officer of Mobile Loaves & Fishes. For Fogarty, developing
strong partnerships was key to providing residents with the services and
resources they need. “We know our neighbors well, but we aren’t experts in
everything that they need. We have amazing organizations in our community that
already do those things.” When they were living on the streets, these
individuals often could not access one crucial resource: health care.

According to Fogarty, offering onsite health care was a
priority from the community’s inception, as many individuals experiencing
homelessness also have significant medical and mental health needs. “We want to
provide the best care possible for our neighbors,” she said, which includes
ensuring access to behavioral health and primary health care in one convenient,
easily accessible location. To meet this
need, Community First! Village partnered with Integral Care and CommUnityCare
to deliver behavioral and primary health care at the Topfer Family Health
Resource Center, an onsite medical facility.
Integral Care has an onsite team of mental health professionals
available five days a week.
CommUnityCare’s mobile team is available onsite twice a week to work
hand in hand with the Integral Care team in addressing medical and mental
health care issues. The same staff members are available each week to ensure
continuity of care for residents.

Jaeson Fournier, Chief Executive Officer of CommUnityCare,
stressed the importance of this collaborative work. While the two organizations
currently co-locate and work in coordination, he believes that there is an
opportunity to advance integrated care at Community First! Village. “We have
been working to develop a model of care with a much greater level of
integration,” Fournier said. “We are distinct entities, but that should mostly
be behind the scenes. To a patient, we should really be serving as one team.”
For a population with high-intensity needs, such as the residents of Community
First! Village, fully integrated care is critical.
Over the next few years, Mobile Loaves &
Fishes will expand Community First! Village to provide additional housing and
resources for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. During Phase II of
development, the organization will also open a new onsite clinic that will
increase its current healthcare offerings. At this new, 10,000 square foot
facility, Integral Care and CommUnityCare will partner to deliver fully
integrated care not only to residents, but they will also provide services to
the surrounding neighborhood.